Wild-oat and barley separator.



Patented Apr. 1', 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

m .w/ofii.

R. J, OWENS.

WILD OAT AND BARLEY SEPARATOR.

APPLlCATlON FILED JULY 26, 1918.

Patented Apr. 1, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- f7 0677: 297": F0 erf J Owens.

UNITED STATES PTN @FFTC ROBERT J. OWENS, F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

WILD-OAT AND BARLEY SEPARATOR.

The object of my invention is to provide a separator which will dispense entirely with fans and air currents and wire sieves and of such devices as flannels, carpets and the llke, frequently found in machines of this type for separatingand grading grains.

of simple construction and one in which the A further object is to'provide a machine 7 working mechanism is always in plain view,

and the operation of the machine can be distinctly seen.

A further object is to provide a machine by means of which not only wild oats but small, imperfect kernels of grain can be separated from the full, plump kernels that are suitablefor seed.

The invention consists generally in various constructions and combinations, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

p In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View through a wild'oats and barley separator embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a detail view, looking at one side of the machine, showing the mechanism for operating the separator,

Fig. 3 is an end elevation, partially in section, of the same,

Fig. 4: is a detail sectional view, showin the relative position of the curved slotte plate and the stationary slats beneath which the plate oscillates.

. In the drawing, 2 represents the frame of the machine, which may be made of any suitable size and suitably braced and stayed to form a rigid substantial structure in which the separating mechanism is mounted. 3 and 4 represent cross bars mounted in the ends of the machine frame and provided with bearings 5 for studs 6 which are mounted on bars 7 and 8 to which the head plates 9. and 10 of the saparator are secured by suitable means, such as bolts 11. These head by side rails 12 which are divided longitudinally into inner and outer sections to receive Specification of Letters Patent.

formed by the walls 18 and Patented Apr. 1, 1919.

Application filed July 26, 1918. Serial No. 246,843.

but may be loosened at any time for the readjustment of the plate in the machine or its removal altogether. This plate is preferably made of zinc in the form of a sieve and provided with comparatively long, narrow slots 16 therein, all of uniform size and preferably arranged in staggered relation running lengthwise of the plate. This plate or sieve is curved, preferably in the manner shown in Fig. 4:, but the degree of its curvature may be increased or decreased, as desired.

The material to be separated, usually wild oats and barley, is delivered to the sieve by any suitable means, preferably a hopper 17 19 depending from the frameof the machine, a feed opening 20 being provided between their lower ends, the size of which being regulated by a slide 21. Through this feed opening a mixture of wild oats and barley is delivered in a thin stream upon the upper end of the sieve, which is mounted in the machine frame at an incline sufiicient to cause the grain to work by gravity from the upper toward the lower end of the sieve.

The lower end of the wall 18 has an opening 22 therein and a bar 23 has one end seated in said opening and its opposite end carried by a bracket 24 at the lower end of i the machine. On each side of this bar I provide a series of narrow slats 25, connected through the bar by means of small rods or wires 26, which hold the slats and the bar in their proper relative position to form in effect a rack curved to conform to the curvature of the slotted sieve and held stationary with respect thereto near the surface of the sieve. These slats are spaced apart a suitable distance and their lower surfaces are flat, with square corners, and when they contact with the grain on thesieve it will be spread out in a thin sheet over the sieve and the grain will be distributed in a thin, level layer over the full surface of the sieve, and every kernel will come in contact with the sieve and whenever a kernel that is smaller than the slots approaches the sieve, it will pass through and drop upon the ground under the machine. This will effect a separation of the long, thin kernels of wild oats from the plumper barley kernels, which are shorter, and the full plump kernels are too thick or of too great diameter to pass through the slots. The small, imperfect barley kernels will, however, fall through the slots with the wild oats and thereby I am able to effect a grading of the seed grain, discarding the small imperfect kernels and separating the full plump ones for delivery at the end of the machine.

I have found that the grain delivered at the upper end of the moving sieve will be spread out in a thin sheet as the sieve moves past the stationary slats and the full separating surface of the sieve Will be utilized and the capacity of the machine be thereby greatly increased. I have also found that the stationary slats mounted near the surface of the sieve will prevent the grain from accumulating at any point on the sieve and will insure all the kernels coming in contact with the sieve so that the smaller imperfect kernels of barley or other grain and the long, slim wild oat kernels will enter the slots and be separated from the full, perfect kernels, which are, of course, the onesmost desirable for seed.

Various ways may be devised for operating, the oscillating sieve, but I prefer to pro vide a simple, inexpensive device, which I will now describe in detail.

27 is a rod, vertically slidable in a guide 28.011 the frame of the machine and pivotally connected at its upper end to a crank 29 having an operating crank 30. The revolution of this crank arm will impart a vertically reciprocating movement to the rod 27. 31 is a bracket, mounted on the head 9 of the sieve and in this bracket an arm 32 of the rod 27 is slidable. Springs 33 and 34: are mounted on said rod on each, side of the bracket Sl to yieldingly resist relative move ment of the bracket and the rod. The bracket 31 is mounted at one side of the pivot of the sieve and consequently when the crank arm is revolved, an oscillating movement will. be imparted to the sieve and the stream of grain delivered thereto will be spread out in a thin sheet over the surfaee of the sieve by the engagement of the slats. therewith and a very complete separation, of the small imperfect seeds and the wild oats, from the full plump kernels of grain will be made and such plump kernels being too large to pass through the slots in the sieve will work down by gravity thereover and be discharged at the lower end of the sieve into a suitable spout 35. The seedscollected in this spout will not only be free of wild oats, but will have the imperfect kernels. of. grain separated therefrom and the resulting accumulation of seed in the spoutbeing free from imperfect kernels and all. deleterious foreign matter will be most suitable for seeding purposes.

The machine may be made in diflerent sizes, according to the capacity desired, and it may, of course, be operated by power if preferred.

I claim as my invention:

1. A separator comprising a sieve having means for delivering a mixture of wild oats and other grains thereto, a series of slats mounted near the bottom of said sieve for spreading the grain thereon in a thin sheet, said sieve having openings therein to allow wild oat kernels and other imperfect kernels of grain to fall through while the fuller, plumper kernels slide over said sieve and said sieve and slats having a relative, oscillatory movement.

2. A grain separator comprising a frame, a sieve substantially semi-cylindrical in form mounted in said frame and having slots therein of sufficient size to allow the passage of Wild oat kernels, andimperfect seed grain kernels, but too small to allow the passage of the full plump kernels of grain, means mounted above said sieve and.

in close proximity thereto for spreading out the grain in a thin sheet thereon and? holding the kernels in contact with the sieve, said means and said sieve having a relative oscillatory movement. I

3. A grain separating and grading ma chine comprising a sieve substantially semi cylindrical in form, arranged at an incline to oscillate on a longitudinal axis and having means for delivering a mixture of wild oats and barley or other grain, on the upper end of said sieve, said sieve having openings therein of sufficient'size to allow wild oats and imperfect seed kernels to fall therethrough while the full, plump kernels slide to the lower end of said sieve, and means mounted in said sieve and adjacent the surface thereof for spreading the grain in a thinsheetthereover and forcing each kernel into contact with the sieve.

i. A grain separating machine comprising a frame, a sieve mountedfor transverse oscillation on a longitudinal axis and arranged at an incline and having a series of slots formed therein of sufficient size to allow wild oatkernels and, imperfect seed grains to fall therethrough but too small to allow the passage of full, plump, kernels of grain, a stationary bar mounted: above the middle portion, of said sieve and near the same and a series of stationary slats supported by said bar and spaced therefrom and from each other and forming therewith a grating which lies close to the surface of the sieve, said sieve and slats being arranged at anincline and means fordelivering the mixed grain on the upper endof said sieve, said slats. operating to spread the grain inathin sheet over the sieve and force each kernel into contact therewith.

5. A. grain separator comprising a. sieve having means for delivering a. mixture of therethrough while the fuller, plumper ker- Wild oats and other grains thereto, means nels of grain slide over said sieve and said mounted near the bottom of sand sieve for sieve and said means having a relative os- 10 spreading the grain thereon in a. thin sheet, oillating movement.

said sieve having openings therein of sufii- In witness whereof, I have hereunto set eient size to allow wild oat kernels and immy hand this 3rd dayof July 1918. perfect kernels of grain to drop sidewise ROBERT J. OWENS.

Oobies of this patentmpy be obtained tor five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' fi ing-ton, D. G." 

